I feel as though this book would be another example of how students in the classroom would be able to reach out and
begin to write about their own lives. The difficult times that families go through in an everyday life like Billie Jo. The book, Out of the Dust by
Karen Hesse is about a young girl who lives through
many ups and downs in her home state of Oklahoma. She deals with the heartache of the "dust bowl" which leaves
farms and families distraught with the devastating problems it causes. The book is written almost like a poem in the look
and format of each chapter. Although it is still a story with a beginning, middle and end and all the narrative elements that
a student in fourth, fifth or sixth grade student should be able to identify with.
Purpose: Students will be able to identify with the character, Billie Jo and realize that many young people have problems that they can't talk about but they can certainly write about. This book would allow students to open up and write about what might be troubling them.The part of the story where it says, "They didn't talk, about my father leaving kerosene by the stove. They didn't say a word about my father, drinking himself, into a stupor, while Ma writhed, begging for water (Hesse 71)." Something as compelling as this section of the book would show students that bad things can happen but we all have to move on and hope better things happen, and to trust others.
Audience: This book would work great with students in fourth through sixth grade.
Genre: This book seems as though it would fall under the Reader-Response genre. Students are able to become
familiar with the journal writing or diary writing goal. Responding to their own writing will allow them to come back to what they were feeling at that moment and then commenting on it for themselves.
Engagement: Students will read this book while discussing each topic and section with the teacher. Students will do alot of large group discussion to understand the book. Along with reading the book, as each chapter ends students will write a "diary" that they keep for themselves. The diary will not be read by other students but as to only hold the thought of that individual student. They will be able to share it with the teacher but that is at their descretion. After writing their entry for the day they will come back to that the following day and make comments for themselves. The comments might be about how they solved the problem or if they have different feelings from the previous day.
The diary writing will be a great outlet for students and how they feel about their own life and even about the book Out of the Dust.
LENS 5
April 18, 2013
Kayla Ramer
LENS 5
April 18, 2013
I feel as though this book would be another example of how students in the classroom would be able to reach out and
begin to write about their own lives. The difficult times that families go through in an everyday life like Billie Jo. The book, Out of the Dust by
Karen Hesse is about a young girl who lives through
many ups and downs in her home state of Oklahoma. She deals with the heartache of the "dust bowl" which leaves
farms and families distraught with the devastating problems it causes. The book is written almost like a poem in the look
and format of each chapter. Although it is still a story with a beginning, middle and end and all the narrative elements that
a student in fourth, fifth or sixth grade student should be able to identify with.
Purpose: Students will be able to identify with the character, Billie Jo and realize that many young people have problems that they can't talk about but they can certainly write about. This book would allow students to open up and write about what might be troubling them.The part of the story where it says, "They didn't talk, about my father leaving kerosene by the stove. They didn't say a word about my father, drinking himself, into a stupor, while Ma writhed, begging for water (Hesse 71)." Something as compelling as this section of the book would show students that bad things can happen but we all have to move on and hope better things happen, and to trust others.
Audience: This book would work great with students in fourth through sixth grade.
Genre: This book seems as though it would fall under the Reader-Response genre. Students are able to become
familiar with the journal writing or diary writing goal. Responding to their own writing will allow them to come back to what they were feeling at that moment and then commenting on it for themselves.
Engagement: Students will read this book while discussing each topic and section with the teacher. Students will do alot of large group discussion to understand the book. Along with reading the book, as each chapter ends students will write a "diary" that they keep for themselves. The diary will not be read by other students but as to only hold the thought of that individual student. They will be able to share it with the teacher but that is at their descretion. After writing their entry for the day they will come back to that the following day and make comments for themselves. The comments might be about how they solved the problem or if they have different feelings from the previous day.
The diary writing will be a great outlet for students and how they feel about their own life and even about the book Out of the Dust.